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What should Feed my cat?

9/1/2025

The most common question that I have ben asked over the past 40 years of
caring for our feline friends is WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY CAT? Cats are obligate
carnivores so their diet should consist of mainly animal protein, moderate to low fat, and extremely low carbohydrate. The protein source should be an animal source protein and not vegetable. It should also have a 70-80% moisture content. Thus, the answer is CANNED FOOD!! Any canned food is better than dry kibble.
The best source of good information about the dietary needs of cats, and comparisons of specific canned foods is the website: catinfo.org. This website will allow you to pick foods that have a high protein source with a moderate fat content and a low carbohydrate levels.

A good starting point for amounts, is at least 15 calories per pound of optimal weight per day split into 3-4 meals. Weigh your cat monthly and adjust as needed. I usually suggest 1-2 protein sources of similar texture. Not much variety, and we suggest no fish proteins except for the short lived fish such as herring or mackerel. I tend to suggest chicken and turkey fed longterm.

To cats, the texture, or mouth feel of the food is extremely important. So if your cats prefer chunky, flakey, or pate, you should stick with that texture. Smell and texture of the food is most important to cats. Cats learn that certain smells and textures are “safe” foods, and if they vary, then your cat has to decide if it is safe or not. If this happens frequently then you may develop the classical “finicky kitty”.

Remember that all changes in diet should be done slowly, over days to weeks.

I will suggest how to use small amounts of dry food in a future article

Felineology class- August

7/30/2025

We are pleased to announce that Dr.Robert Carlson will be hosting a basic feline care class - Felineology 101- at our Nashua office on Saturday August 23, 2025.

Dr Carlson will be available to cover basic feline care and answer questions on a variety of fundamental feline care topics.

Adults only please - no children - human or feline. There is no charge for the class but registration is required as space is limited. Interested repeat attendees will be added to a waiting list and will be notified if space becomes available.

Subjects ranging from food choices, litter box issues, environmental enrichment, multiple cat household stress, vaccine recommendations, and geriatric care are all open for discussion.

If you would like to attend, please call the office at 603-594-4200 to reserve your place.

The Cat Doctor of Nashua; Felineology 101
24 Merrit Parkway Saturday, May 31, 2025
Nashua, NH 03062 10:00- 11:30 AM

Felineology 101

4/29/2025

We are pleased to announce that Dr.Robert Carlson will be hosting a basic feline care class - Felineology 101- at our Nashua office on Saturday June 28, 2025.

Dr Carlson will be available to cover basic feline care and answer questions on a variety of fundamental feline care topics.

Adults only please - no children - human or feline. There is no charge for the class but registration is required as space is limited. Interested repeat attendees will be added to a waiting list and will be notified if space becomes available.

Subjects ranging from food choices, litter box issues, environmental enrichment, multiple cat household stress, vaccine recommendations, and geriatric care are all open for discussion.

If you would like to attend, please call the office at 603-594-4200 to reserve your place.

The Cat Doctor of Nashua; Felineology 101
24 Merrit Parkway Saturday, May 31, 2025
Nashua, NH 03062 10:00- 11:30 AM

Felinology 101

4/9/2025

We are pleased to announce that Dr.Robert Carlson will be hosting a basic feline care class -Felinology 101- at our Nashua office on Saturday April 19, 2025.

Dr Carlson will be available to cover basic feline care and answer questions on a variety of fundamental feline care topics.
Adults only please - no children - human or feline. There is no charge for the class but registration is required as space is limited.

Subjects ranging from food choices, litter box issues, environmental enrichment, multiple cat household stress, vaccine recommendations, and geriatric care are all open for discussion.
If you would like to attend, please call the office at 603-594-4200 to reserve your place.

The Cat Doctor of Nashua 24 Merrit Parkway Nashua, NH 03062

Felinology 101
Saturday, April 19, 2025
10:00- 11:30 AM
To reserve your spot - please call: 603-594-4200

Bird Flu and your cat

1/20/2025

Don’t feed your cats, raw pet food.

Since the H5N1 outbreak started among dairy cows and birds in the U.S., dozens of cats have been infected, including farm cats, house cats, and big cats at the zoo. While the main exposure has been from drinking raw milk, a new pathway has been discovered: raw food. Raw pet food sometimes includes raw meat, like chicken.

Two brands have been linked thus far to sick cats: Monarch Raw Pet Food
Northwest Naturals

Cats are at a particularly high risk of H5N1 (bird flu), which causes a fatality rate of more than 50%. Can H5N1 be passed from cats to humans? It’s possible, but there have been no known cases thus far.

Happy Holidays and a stocking stuffer idea!

12/6/2024

Every year around the holidays we are inundated with vomiting cats! Think how our cats view this holiday season. There are decorations to explore and chew. There are dried flowers, fresh flowers, pine needles, wrapping paper, ribbons, elastics, and new toys. There are boxes to hide in. Left-overs to consume. New tasty treats to over-indulge with. New foods to try. There could be a new tree in the house to hide under or to climb. (One of my cats ate the new LED bulbs off the bottom of the tree!) There are schedule changes, vacations, and the dreaded visits by many friends/family that always want to pet the kitty!
Of course your cat finds all these changes to be stressful and one of the ways for a cat to exhibit stress is by hiding (or not) and grooming for long periods. This will increase the ingestion of large quantities of fur which can accumulate in the stomach and cause gastritis and vomiting. We do see the occasional cat that has ingested something causing a blockage (ribbon is the most common), but mostly we see cats with fur ball issues causing poor appetite and/or vomiting.
A great idea for a stocking stuffer for your cat is a tube of fur ball remedy (I call it fur ball goo)! These are petroleum based laxatives that lubricate the fur in the stomach to help it pass out of the stomach and down through the GI tract and not build up into an irritating/ obstructing fur ball. There are many brands and flavors on the market such as Laxatone or Laxaire. Use the one your cat will consume! I usually suggest a tsp to tbsp of fur ball goo, given 1-2 times per week on an empty stomach.
Cats are furry and they are fastidious creatures, so anytime there is stress or changes in their environment they will groom excessively. Cats shed almost year round so giving fur ball remedy weekly all year is also a good idea. So this holiday season, get your cat a tube of fur ball remedy!

Online Pharmacy and Store

1/7/2024

We are thrilled to announce that both of our offices have partnered with a new online pharmacy and store front that is integrated with our practice management software. Both traditional and compounded medications are available via the online pharmacy and will be shipped directly to your home.

The sheer volume of online, faxed and emailed prescription requests has become overwhelming for our clinic staff resulting in longer wait times for prescriptions to be filled. Our collaboration with an online pharmacy that works directly with us, your veterinary team - as well as our practice software, and the manufacturers of the medications we prescribe; will allow us to fill prescription requests in a more timely and stream-lined fashion.

The access to the online pharmacy will also allow our clients to shop for pet foods and other pet-related products in one easy to search location.

You may, of course, continue to have prescriptions filled at the pharmacy of your choice and some prescriptions may need to be filled elsewhere - but we invite you to check out the links to the new pharmacy on our home page. If you are a client you should have received an email with an invitation to shop at the pharmacy with an offer for a 20% discount on your first online order.

If you have questions regarding the online pharmacy please contact the office you visit and the staff will be happy to assist you.

Each office has its own dedicated pharmacy link - you can find the links on our home page: http://www.catdoctors.com/

Spring Updates

5/31/2023

As we head into summer from spring, we have some updates concerning our offices. First, we no longer require masks to be worn in the office. We are leaving it to the individuals to decide if they wish to wear a mask. If you would feel safer having any of the staff don a mask, just ask at the front desk. I would hope that anyone that is ill would either cancel their appointment or at least wear a mask. Thank you.
Second, we are losing one of our long-term veterinarians as of June 1. Dr Diaz will no longer be available. Dr Carlson will be filling in on a part-time basis until we can locate new staff members. Because we will have limited staff, appointments may be booking out several weeks.
Third, we will be accepting new patients, but we may not be able to fit in new sick patients in a timely manner. This will be mainly affect the Nashua office. We hope to hire new staff this summer and will be able to accommodate everyone soon. Thank you for your patience!

New Patients

2/26/2023

Due to current staffing issues, our Nashua office will not be accepting new patients for the foreseeable future. We still are accepting new patients in our Bedford office.
Finding new staff members that fit with our practice philosophy and our passion for felines seems to be a constant search. I am sure we will successfully find just the right person soon and will be able to accept new patients again. All of our established clients are welcome, but there may be some delay to obtain an appointment. Thank you for your patience!

Relaxing Covid Rules

9/6/2022

We are relaxing some of our protocols for your visit to the Cat Doctor. First, if you are picking up medication, food, or any other purchase, please pre-pay with your credit card, so we do not create congestion at our front desks. When you arrive to pick up your purchase, please call and our staff will meet you near the front door with your item.

If you are arriving for an appointment with your cat, you do NOT need to call from the parking area. Just come into the office and you will be escorted into one of our exam rooms. History taking and reviewing the reason for your cat’s visit will be conducted in the exam rooms.

MASKS MUST BE WORN IN THE EXAM ROOMS. Masks are optional within the building, EXCEPT within the confines of the exam rooms when there is close contact with our Doctors and staff. If you do not have a mask, we will provide you with one. We prefer to have just one person accompany patients. All cats should stay in their carriers until the staff is ready for them.

Hopefully, this signals the beginning of the end of the pandemic. With the advent of the newer vaccines perhaps we will be back to normal soon! Thanks for your cooperation.

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